Friction-clutch



(No Model.)

- J. WALKER.

PRIGTION GLUTGH. No. 421,332. Patented Feb. 11,1890;

lhvrrnv Smarts Partnr Ormea JOHN IVALKER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

FRICTIONMCLUTCH.

PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 421,332, dated February 11, 1890. Application tiled September 3, 1889.` Serial No. 322,897. (No model.)

To all whom t may con/cern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN WALKER, of Oleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Friction-Clutches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in friction-clutches in which the male member thereof includes a friction-band constructed in halves, they two halves being forced apart by Wedges inserted between the opposing ends of the friction-band. A central supportn ing-hub is connected. by means of tangential arms with the ends of each bandscction, Whereby the bending of these arms expands the bandscctions, so as to fit the rim of the female member of the clutch. Rigid arms serving as drivers extend radially from opposite sides of the hub and engage shoulders of the respective band-sections at the central portions of the latter, the band-sections, tangential arms, drivers, and hub being cast integral tothe end that a powerful frictionclutch is thus had, the male and female mem.- bers of which are always concentric With each Other,Whereby approximately an equal distribution of friction and Wear is had throughout the surface of the friction-band.

The accompanying drawing is a side elevation partly in section..

The female member of the clutch is of ordinary construction, comprising everhanging rim A and a supportingspider a, the latter, of course, being rigidly secured to its shaft. (The latter not shown.) The male member of the clutch comprises, in the main, hub B, segmental friction-band sections C C, substantially in halves, drivers D D, the latter extending radially from opposite sides of the hub, and expanding arms E, the latter being preferably of the curved variety shown and joining the hub tangentially and joining, respectively, the ends of the frictioirband sections. The hub, drivers, and curved arms are integral, and the latter are integral ,With the frictioirband sections, joining the latter at the ends thereof, as shown.

F are the Wedges for expanding the friction-bands. As there is no novel feature claimed in this application on the mechanism for operating these Wedges, and as such mechanism is Well known, it is not considered necessary to show or describe the same. The drivers are respectively embraced With an easy fit by shoulders O C of the respective friction band sections, chambers `C2 being cored in the band-sections opposite the ends of the drivers, so that the band-sections can play in and out on the drivers a limited distance.

In preparing the mold for casting the male member of the clutch, steel plates c c are set parallel with each other in the mold and in the relative positions shown, the opposing faces of these plates having been polished and coated preferably with plumbago-Wash, the reverse sides of these plates having been coated With tin, and each plate having a suitable number of anchors c attached for securing the plate to the casting. The tin coating causes the cast metal to adhere to the plates. The plumhago-Washk disappears in casting, but remainsA long enough to prevent the metal of the drivers from adhering to plates c, and the result is a snug but easy fit of the drivers between the embracing-shoulders, plates c c serving merely as facings for these shoulders. The drivers are usually cored, as shown in dotted lines at CZ, to save metal, and pret'- erably an opening C2 is cored through the friction-band sections opposite the cavities of the drivers for convenience in cleaning out the sand from these cavities.

With such construction the drivers do not interfere in the least with the movement of the band-sections in the direction toward and from rim A, and at the same time these drivers relieve arms E of any labor in driving the clutch. Arms E can therefore be made comparati vely light, so that they Will readily bend the limited distance required, the recoil of arms E being suflicient to collapse the friction-band sections when the Wedges are backed. From the location and shape of arms E it is evident that when the Wedges force apart the band-sections the outer ends of these arms Will sweep outward and distend the bases of the bandsections, whereby the frictiolrband While being distended retains a circular form, and consequently fits rim A when it engages the latter, thus dis- IOO tral hub, and drivers integralwith the hub and extending from opposite sides thereof,l

the free ends of these drivers engaging shoulders of the friction-band sections, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I sign this specifica- 27th day of June, 1889.

JOHN IVALKER;

Witnesses CHAs. H. DORER, ALBERT E. LYNCH.

tion, in the presence of two witnesses, this 2o 

